Born in Los Angeles, Raymond E. Feist has been a resident of San Diego, California since 1971. Raised in a film/tv family, he studied first Theatre Arts, then Communication Arts, specialising in Mass Market and Public Opinion in college. He’s a graduate of the University of California, San Diego; John Muir College. Long a fan of fantasy, he took a year of gaming while at UCSD, and turned the world of Midkemia into the setting for his long, successful Riftwar Cycle. Master of Furies is his 35th book.
Today, Raymond E. Feist is here to answer a few of our questions about Master of Furies, the finale to his epic Firemane Saga! Read on …
Raymond E. Feist
Please tell us about your book, Master of Furies!
REF: Master of Furies centres around a cast of characters, criminals, commoners, and nobles who are overwhelmed by a horrendous attack by a distant enemy. Now they mount a war of reprisal, against this evil society ruled by the Pride Lords, and discover an even more dangerous and powerful, unseen foe behind them.
This is the third and final book in your Firemane saga. How does it feel to be on the other side of this epic story?
REF: For me, I remember what Gore Vidal said about writing a novel. “Writing a novel is like walking from Vladivostok to Paris . . . on your knees. When you get to Paris, you’re back in Vladivostok.” There’s a triumphal glass of single-malt, feeling accomplished for a day or two, then suddenly I wonder, “What’s next?” Sit down in front of the computer, back in Vladivostok.
What was the most challenging part of writing Master of Furies?
REF: It’s always a bit of a challenge having multiple characters running around and knowing when to jump from one to another. And occasionally you forget and wonder, “What did I do with him/her? Oh yes, I left that one dangling off a cliff. I better go back and do something about that.” I think in somewhat cinematic terms, so pacing, tempo, almost as if a music score is playing in my head telling me when I need to move on, or linger and show more. As they say, writing is rewriting.
Do you have a favourite character from this trilogy or one that you particularly relate to?
REF: Not really. All characters serve a dramatic purpose in driving the narrative. But some are a bit more fun to write than others. Hava, being a young woman, was a bit of a challenge at first, as I try to be faithful to all my female characters in not just putting a dress and wig on a male character and say he’s female. Once I “got” her, she became fun to write. At first she was supposed to be Hatushaly’s foil and love interest, but by the second book she took over. I also enjoyed writing Bodai, because he pontificates, which gives me the chance to do so and blame it on the character.
‘I think in somewhat cinematic terms, so pacing, tempo, almost as if a music score is playing in my head telling me when I need to move on, or linger and show more. As they say, writing is rewriting.’
The last time we spoke, you said that you tend to think of your books as chapters in a larger narrative. Do you think you’ll return to the Firemane universe anytime soon?
REF: I’m going to dodge that a bit because of spoilers. Let’s just say I’m not quite done with them yet.
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey towards becoming a writer?
REF: A little bit is tough. It’s a lifetime journey. In retrospect, everything I did until Magician was published in 1982 was educational. Watching films with my director/writer/producer father and talking about them. Eavesdropping on him having drinks with his writer and actor buddies. Studying theater. Studying public opinion. Working on political campaigns. Traveling and meeting people with completely different backgrounds from my own “Hollywood brat” upbringing. Failure after failure in job choices until I tried my hand at storytelling. It’s all part of that journey.
What is the last book you read and loved?
REF: I tend not to read fiction much; mostly biography, history, and political science. The last book I read where I went, “Wow! Everyone should read this,” was Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us by Brian Klaas. With what’s going on in the world today with autocratic movements at home and abroad, it’s very instructive and well written.
What do you hope readers will discover in Master of Furies?
REF: That I’m my usual sneaky self and they find the surprises pleasant ones.
And finally, what’s up next for you?
REF: Spoilers, again. It’s untitled but if all falls into place will be out in early 2024.
Thanks Raymond!
—Master of Furies by Raymond E. Feist (HarperCollins Australia) is out now.
Master of Furies
The Firemane Saga: Book 3
The final volume in New York Times bestselling author Raymond E. Feist’s epic heroic fantasy series, The Firemane Saga.
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Comments
June 20, 2022 at 1:56 pm
I enjoyed the twist at the end. It does give options to deal with those controlling the Church of the One in future books which seems inevitable.